The Right Side of Wrong
by AWildMadAppears
Summary: The people of Central City know about Metahumans from the beginning, immediately after the particle accelerator explosion. They are deemed as threats, so the military hunts down everyone that could have been affected that night, which includes a certain CSI.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Heyyy guys, its been a looooonnnngggg time. In which, I have become** _ **ever so slightly**_ **obsessed with The Flash. And now, since I have finished my studies and have plenty of free time to do what ever I want, I've decided to get back into writing. Thank you to everyone that has read my work even when I haven't been actively writing and I hope everyone likes this piece that I'm starting now! Disclaimer that The Flash and all it's characters belong to DC Comics and the CW and a good portion of the dialogue for this first chapter is taken from the Pilot episode. So, everyone have fun reading and I hope you all enjoy!**

 **Chapter 1**

Barry woke to a steady beep and a familiar melody resonating around the room. His body felt odd, like he was very tired but the most energised he has ever been at the same time. Cautiously, he flexed his hands, feeling an ache to suggest lack of movement and yet a sort of electricity seemed to run up his arm, leaving him feeling tingly and, somehow, less sore.

 _What happened to me?_ He could hear footsteps around the room, and, eventually, voices.

"Cisco-"

"What? He likes this song."

Suddenly, the lightning under his skin seemed to jump and Barry sat up, gasping.

"Oh my god!"

"Where am I?"

"He's up"

"Dr Wells, we need you in the cortex, like, right now."

"…110, pulse 120. Pupils equally reactive to light. Look at me, look at me."

"Hey, hey, hey. Whoa, relax. Everything's okay, man. You're at S.T.A.R Labs."

Barry sat up and moved to the edge of the bed, blinking hazily at the sudden chaos that overtook the room.

"S.T.A.R Labs…" He whispered to himself, avoiding the prodding hands of the doctor. A little louder, he asked them, "Who are you?"

"I'm Cisco Ramon," The man, Cisco, replied, grinning. "She's Caitlin – Dr Snow." He corrected himself.

Dr Snow shoved something at him, saying something he didn't hear. Distantly he could recognise Cisco snatching it away from her and hissing something back, but all Barry could focus on was the strange feeling of electricity curling in his gut. Dr Snow tried to recapture his attention, suddenly appearing in his face.

He recoiled. "What is happening? What is going on?" He demanded, turning to look at Cisco.

"You were struck by lightning, dude." Cisco responded, looking far too happy about the fact.

Barry reached up to run his hands through his hair, quickly turning away from the scientists. _Struck by lightning?_ He thought, curling his hands in his hair and fighting the sudden twitch that jumped in his hands, fuelled by the strange electricity. He looked up, now facing away from the two strangers and found himself staring into a blank screen, reflecting his image. His gaze was immediately drawn to his torso. Barry wouldn't say he looked _bad_ before the lightning, maybe just a little soft from the lack of physical exercise due to his nerdy past times. However, _now_ , a clearly defined six pack replaced the softness. He traced his hand over his abs, distantly feeling a jolt, as if the electricity was responding to him.

"Lightning… gave me abs?" He asked incredulously, turning away from the reflection to reface the doctor.

"Your muscles should be atrophied but instead they're in a chronic state of cellular regeneration." Dr Snow explained, looking almost awed at the results showing on his charts.

"Come here, have a seat." Cisco led him back to the bed, sitting him on the end and standing in front of him. "You were in a coma"

 _A coma!_ It could have been days, it could have been _years_. Yesterday wasn't yesterday, it was who knows how long ago. Barry stared at the man in front of him, trying to process. What is life like outside of this room? Who knows how much has changed. What about his apartment? Was his lease up? How many bills had piled up? Barry distantly remembers he was supposed to go to a high school reunion. Did they know what happened to him? What about Joe? Oh, god, Iris. They were probably worried sick. But they'd have moved on for so long.

 _How much of their lives have I missed? How much of MY life have I missed?_

"How long?" Barry demanded, looking up at the man that, strangely, hadn't moved despite Barry's in depth freak out.

"Nine months." A new voice joined the group and they all turned to see Dr. Harrison Wells wheel himself into the cortex. "Welcome back, Mr Allen."

"… Harrison Wells." Barry breathed out, shocked. "… wha- ha- How?" He eventually stuttered out, not knowing if he meant the wheel chair or the whole situation.

Wells took off his glasses, wiping them off on his sweater while he obviously thought through an answer.

"Nine months ago, the particle accelerator when online exactly as planned. For 45 minutes, I had achieved my life's dream, and then," He paused, taking another breath, "there was an anomaly. The electron volts became unmeasurable, the ring under us popped." He threw his hands up, taking another pause. "Energy from the detonation was thrown into the sky, and that in turn, seeded a storm cloud-"

"That created a lightning bolt, that struck me." Barry finished, staring directly at Wells as he rubbed a hand over his face, obviously guilty.

"Yes. I was recovering myself when I heard about you. The hospital was undergoing unexplainable power outages every time you were going into cardiac arrest, which, was actually a misdiagnosis because you weren't flatlining, Barry. Your heartbeat was moving too fast for the EKG to recognise it. Now, I'm not the most popular person around town these days, but Detective West and his daughter gave me permission to bring you here where we were able to stabilise you."

At the mention of the Wests, Barry's thoughts all turned to them. Joe, who would have spent as much time as he could next to him until he couldn't put off work anymore and Iris…

"Iris?" He asked, hoping it conveyed what he wanted to know. _Is she ok? How did this affect her?_

"Iris, yes. She came to see you quite often."

"She talks a lot." Dr Snow chimed in, startling Barry, who had forgotten they were there.

"Also, she's hot." Cisco grinned as Barry stared.

As thoughts of his family invaded every space of his mind, the electricity under his skin began to move, causing Barry to clench and unclench his hands, as if to ward off the twitchiness.

"I need to go." He stated, moving towards the exit.

"Uh," Wells moved his chair to block Barry's path. "I'm afraid we can't let you go just yet."

Barry stopped and stared, quickly glancing behind him to see Caitlin and Cisco had moved to flank him, as if to grab him if he tried to leave. They looked nervous, and guilty.

"Why not?" Barry demanded, taking another step forward which was followed by the two behind. "I want to see my family."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple." Wells sighed, looking down at his lap.

Horror rushed through Barry. _Something has happened_ , he thought, _they aren't ok_.

"Joe… Iris… they are ok? They didn't get hurt by this explosion, did they?" He whispered, hands coming up to clutch his chest, the electricity seeming to get worse the more anxious he became.

"No, no, they're fine, I promise you…" Wells started. "The issue is, you see, you weren't the only one affected by the explosion."

"The accelerator… when it exploded, the whole city was drenched in dark matter." Dr Snow explained. She wrung her wrists together, as if searching for the right words. "This dark matter… it effected some people, fused with their DNA. We call it the Meta Gene."

Barry stared at her in disbelief. Dark Matter? It's a purely theoretical concept, one that many scientists had tried, and failed, to prove existed.

"So… what? You're saying these people are – what? – Mutants now, or something?" Barry scoffed, his head whipping between all three people, a new feeling of dread welling in his gut.

"Not exactly." Cisco stepped in. "They are known as Metahumans. People who have been affected by the particle accelerator explosion and, as a result… developed… super powers." He finished, lamely, obviously aware of how crazy he sounded.

Super powers, however, were one thing Barry could believe in. After seeing what happened to his mother, Barry had always believed super powers existed, he just didn't think it would come about like this. Nor that he would be caught up in it… again.

"I can see you are having trouble… processing this." Wells rolled forward, motioning Barry to follow him to where the monitors were set up. He typed something in and brought up security camera vision, of what looked like a prison. On the screen, there was a young woman in the padded cell. She looked up to the camera and obviously could tell it was on. She stared screaming and yelling, pointing at the camera. Barry watched this silent display of pure rage and his eyes widened as a fog enveloped the small area. When it cleared, the woman was breathing heavy, on her knees, glaring up at the camera.

Wells cleared his throat and clicked another button. It brought up another camera feed, this time of a long tunnel, the walls lined with tiny boxes that Barry recognised as the same as the cell the young woman was in.

"What… is this?" He whispered, clutching at the desk.

"Turns out the pipeline became very handy in securing the Metas." Cisco replied, looking away nervously.

"The pipeli-" Barry choked off, eyes widening in realisation.

He turned to run, heading for the entrance to the cortex when a man stepped around the corner, blocking his path.

"I don't think you're leaving this facility for a long while." The man drawled. He was tall, and buff, but quite a bit older. He was wearing a military uniform, 'General Eiling' stitched into the fabric. Some more military personnel rounded he corner, each carrying a weapon, pointed directly at Barry.

"No, no, you cant be serious!" Barry panted out, panic bubbling over in his chest. The electricity began to spark a little stronger. "You can't think that I am one of them! That I have…" He cut himself off, looking back at the screen showcasing the Metas that had already been locked up.

"Forgive us, Mr Allen, but you were the one person that was almost directly affected by the particle accelerator." Wells wheeled behind Barry, stopping him from backing up any further. Behind him, Caitlin and Cisco stood nervously by, looking guilty. "Where as everyone else was exposed to a wave of dark matter and the circumstances they found themselves in in that very moment, you were injected directly by the dark matter, in the form of that lightning bolt. We have no doubt that you are a Metahuman."

Barry whipped his head back and forth between the two parties on either side of him. The General smirked at him in a cruel and calculating way, giving a minute tilt of his head to let the others know to advance. Barry chose to look directly at Wells.

"This is why you transferred me here, isn't it? Not because you wanted to help, but because you wanted to lock me up as soon as I opened my eyes." Barry whispered, his hands beginning to shake.

"You don't understand, Mr Allen. This is me helping to right my wrong." Wells waved his hand and the military personnel launched into action.

Two men grabbed Barry by either arm, pulling him backwards.

"No, no, no, no, no!" He screamed, trying to force his arms free, kicking at the men that appeared in front of him. Tears leaked from his eyes and sobs began to make their way out of his throat as he tried to fight off the men coming from all sides. He glanced up to see one of them bringing the butt of their gun down, aiming for his head.

In that moment, the electricity burst from the ball in his chest, spreading throughout his whole body, filling it with what seemed like an infinite amount of energy. The butt of the gun slowed down until it stopped, and all the tugging and movement around him slowed to a crawl. Barry looked down to his hands to see faint trails of lightning arching up his arms and surrounding him. He yanked himself free and moved for the door, pushing past the General and appearing behind the line of guards much faster than should be possible.

Pain ricocheted up his arm as he collided with the wall in the hallway. Behind him, time sped up again as the wall of men fell down from the force of his push through. Paper flew up into the air and resettled slowly as everyone turned to look Barry, now cradling his arm in the hall.

"Get him." The General growled, struggling to his feet and the men began to swarm again.

Barry closed his eyes and focused on the electricity running through his veins and only thought of one thing before running away at speeds that defy the laws of physics.

 _I need Joe and Iris_.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Yay! Second chapter up! Thank you to everyone that read, favourited, followed and reviewed the last chapter! I hope you all like this one too. Although, I do have to say there is quite a bit of OOCness in this chapter and I want you all to know, I don't plan for it to stay that way! I'll explain it more in an A/N at the bottom of this chapter! For now, though, enjoy :)**

 **Chapter 2**

Barry panted as he made it to the steps of the CCPD, anxiously looking over his shoulder for any sign they were following him. He took a deep breath.

 _Everything's ok. Joe will know what to do._

The elevator doors opened and he strode in, eyes instantly scanning for the people he most wanted to see. He spotted Joe's intimidating figure looming over his desk, head hanging between his shoulders, looking almost defeated. Iris stood next to him, daintily leaning on one of Joe's shoulders. From where Barry was standing, her expression looked drawn and he could see exhaustion pulling at the corners of her eyes.

Barry picked up his pace towards them, ignoring the stunned expressions of the co-workers he passed.

Iris looked up first, locking eyes with him from a few metres away. Her expression changed to one of shock, before a multitude of emotions flickered across her face, collecting into the tears welling in her eyes. She lifted herself from her father's shoulder and, with one hand covering her face, raced to hug Barry, jumping on him the moment she could. Behind her, Joe looked over, a smile beginning to pull at his weary face.

"Oh my god!" Iris gasped as she pulled back and Joe was able to pull Barry into a hug of his own. "Barry… how… wh- when did you wake up? Why didn't S.T.A.R Labs call us?"

"I only woke up about an hour ago." Barry breathed out, a genuine smile taking over his face for the first time since he woke.

"Should you even be up yet?" Joe asked, concern tugging his relieved smile down slightly.

"I feel ok, Joe. I'm alright." Barry's own smile wavered as he fully remembered why he needed his family. "But something happened as I was leaving…" He trailed off.

Father and daughter looked at him, concerned.

"What? What happened, Bear?" Iris prompted, taking his hands in her own.

Barry's gaze was drawn to the elevator doors that had reopened, this time allowing entrance to two cops escorting a handcuffed man in. The man looked ruffled, his red buttondown shirt bunched and his hair messed up. His eyes flickered back and forth as he was tugged along by the officers, resisting to each step.

"I haven't done anything! Please, I've done nothing wrong!" The man pleaded to the unmoved officers. "Please, what about my kids?"

The scene changed and suddenly Barry was staring at his father, being pulled much the same by two other officers. _"What's going to happen to my son!?"_

Barry shook the scene off, instead staring as one of the officers stopped by the receptionist.

"We need an escort to the Pipeline." She stated as her partner shoved the man into a separate holding cell. One that look awfully like the ones…

The man banged on the glass, a painful scream piecing the air. The scream dissolved into loud cries as the man pulled back from the glass, crossing his arms over himself as if he was trying to hold himself together. As Barry watched, the man's hands started to turn red… the same red as his shirt. Through his sobs, the man seemed to try and reign it in, stopping the effect from spreading by curling into himself tighter.

The thing that captivated Barry the most, though, was that this man was _terrified_.

"What's he in for Officer?" Joe's voice snapped through Barry's consciousness, although he couldn't tear his gaze from the man.

The officer that had caged the man responded "Camouflage. I swear, man, more and more of these Metas keep appearing. I think it's becoming an epidemic."

"Barry?" Iris placed a hand on his arm, finally drawing him away from the prisoner. "Are you ok?"

Joe looked at him then and his features softened into something sympathetic.

"You wouldn't know." He spoke quietly, moving the three of them closer to his desk again for a semblance of privacy. "The world has changed since you… well…" He paused, shooting one glance over to the man, now curled into the corner of his cage.

"Not long after you were taken to the hospital, strange things started to happen. Something that accelerator did cause people to get sick. They began developing… mutations of sorts. Powers, many would say. They are called Metahumans." Joe sighed, pulling Iris a little closer to him, looking down at his desk. "It's sad, really. Many of these people just had normal lives, but then this accident caused them to get ill, and…" He trailed off, gesturing slightly to the cell.

"Sick, ill… _epidemic_. You're speaking as if it's, like, a plague or…or zombie apocalypse or… something." Barry stuttered out, trying to keep his gaze away from the completely innocent caged man.

"Well, it kind of is." Iris cut in. "The military has stated that these… Metas… are to be seen as a threat. They have powers and how are we, as normal people, supposed to fight that?"

 _Does that mean that I'm…_ Barry stayed silent, his thoughts whirling. The sense of dread from earlier began to curl into his gut, and the previously dormant electricity began to move again, becoming agitated.

"Anyways, you were saying that something happened, Barry?" Iris turned her concerned gaze to him, her all too familiar gaze seeming to reach all the way to his soul.

 _I have to lie… but…_ Barry looked directly back into Iris's eyes and changed his mind. The love they help for him would be stronger than the propaganda they had obviously been subjected to… right?

"Well…" Barry lowered his voice so that Joe and Iris were to only ones privy to what he needed to say. "They… they thought that I could be… well…" Barry glanced back to the man in the cage. "And they wanted to… put me in the Pipeline."

He met their shocked glances and watched as their expressions morphed into something that was supposed to be comforting.

"Don't worry, Bear." Joe clasped his shoulder and brought him in for a hug. "We'll set it straight. There is a simple way to prove you aren't."

Barry's eyes widened as Iris turned to her bag sitting on Joe's desk. _No, this isn't how it was supposed to go._

She pulled out a small device. It looked quite chunky and had a small strap attached, as if it was supposed to be fastened to something. Iris saw Barry staring and gestured with it.

"It's a Metahuman detecting watch." She explained, securing it to her wrist. "S.T.A.R Labs created it after it became obvious that a lot of people were affected. They are currently working on something that works more long distance but until then, this is all we have. See, when held close to non-Metas, it doesn't react," She held is close to Joe and the watch remained the same. "But when put close to a Meta, an alarm will start. So here." Before he could think of… anything to get him out of this, she shoved the watch at Barry.

And the alarm went off.

The whole precinct went quiet, even the man in the cage went silent. They all stared at the watch in varying degrees of horror. Barry broke the silence first.

"Joe, I'm still me." He rushed out, reaching out to clutch at Joe, who flinched back.

"I don't understand." Joe whispered back, looking distraught. Iris just stood staring at the watch.

People behind Barry began to move but he couldn't look away from his family.

"Please, Joe, Iris… nothing has changed, please, believe me." He pleaded, taking a small step forward, and breathing a sigh when neither flinched away again.

Joe reached up and gently touched his face, staring and searching, as if to find something to prove this wasn't his son.

 _Or maybe to prove this IS_ _his son._ Barry thought in horror as Joe's hand slipped back to rub his own face and tears welled in his eyes.

"I'm sorry." Joe whispered and Barry's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Wha-"

"Dude, RUN!" The man in the cell screamed and Barry startled, turning around to see a whole precinct of cops ready to, reluctantly, throw him in a cell too.

Once again, time slowed down and the electricity took over his body. He ran, weaving his way through the crowd to the other side of the precinct before any of them has moved.

 _Superspeed? Is that what this is?_ He stared at his hands for a second before time sped up again and he watched the crowd stop in confusion and they all turned to find him again. He moved towards the elevator, only for it to open before he could reach it. Out stepped the General from S.T.A.R Labs and a squad of soldiers.

"You." The General's face screwed into a scowl and he instantly signalled his soldiers to attack.

They pounced, guns ready, and Barry backed up, only to run into an officer behind him. Arms began to grab at him, so many, coming from all around. Barry struggled, pulling and pushing as much as he possibly could as they group tried to drag him towards the cell the other man resided in. Over the crowd, Barry caught the eyes of Joe and Iris, still standing at the back of the room and both looking thoroughly distraught.

A feeling of betrayal swept through him and lit a new sense of desperation to get free. He closed his eyes and summoned the electricity under his skin, feeling it take over his body as he pulled. He ran a few steps, pulling the crowd with him, before they all let go, knocked over by the speed of his pull. Bodies went sprawling across the floor. One officer stepped in front of him, a brave effort to stop him. Barry shoved her back, moving past her as she flew back into the wall, a horrific snap resounding through the room.

She let out a scream as she slumped to the ground, the scuffle pausing for a few seconds in order to check the injury. Barry stared in horror as officers shouted for medical and tried to position the woman without injuring her spine… any worse than it already was.

 _I just…_ Barry felt bile rise in his throat and a new sense of horror for his powers spread through him.

"I didn't," He tried to choke out. "I didn't mean…"

"You'll pay for that." The General growled, pulling his own gun and aiming.

Barry's eyes widened and he called on the electricity again, turning to the elevator again, only to find his exit blocked.

"We've got you." One of the soldiers grunted, also aiming his gun at Barry. Barry turned again, trying to run towards on of the windows. He used his speed to turn but found himself turning into the butt of a soldiers gun, smacking he head into it. The force sent him backwards, and he found himself slumped against a wall as the man who hit him was pushed back, his arms jarring back into his shoulders, creating a loud pop and a yell.

The General growled again, swinging around to aim directly at Barry. Barry stared at him in terror.

"That's enough." His finger inched towards the trigger, slowing down again as the electricity rolled through Barry's body.

He felt the tremor in the air as the bullet was released from the chamber and he closed his eyes, turning away. He could feel his body trembling. He was shaking hard.

 _Wait_.

He opened his eyes to see his whole body _vibrating_ , going faster and faster until he fell.

Through the floor.

He hit the first floor of the building with a winded 'umph' and a sickening crack from his arm. Tears welled in his eyes and he silently screamed as he struggled to his feet. Ignoring the shocked onlookers, he summoned what little energy he had left to speed out of the precinct and as far away as possible, eventually crashing into an alleyway.

He curled against a brick wall, cradling his broken arm and sobbed out his broken heart.

A few hours later, his arm was fully healed. He couldn't find it in himself to be impressed.

 **A/N: Ok, So I know Joe and Iris seem bad in this chapter but I want to let you know it wont stay that way. Right now, all they know of Metahumans is what they've been told by the military and government and, since they didn't have Barry to prove that powers don't change who you are, they, and I think very reluctantly, believed what was being said. IT WILL CHANGE THOUGH! It may be a little while but I promise they won't be bad the whole time, just until thy understand.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Chapter 3 is now up, yay! Thank you to everyone that read, reviewed, favourited and followed the last two chapters. I hope everyone enjoys this one too!**

 **Chapter 3**

Barry's stomach grumbled once again as he curled into himself in the back corner of some abandoned warehouse. He shivered as the wind blew in through the cracks in the roof and pulled his ratty jacket around his slimming frame as tight as he could. The jacket smelt of rotten vegetables and mice droppings, no doubt from the dumpster Barry picked it up from.

The ground felt freezing below him, and it seemed to dull the electricity the normally coursed through him.

 _Right. Speed and cold don't mix._ Barry thought bitterly, clenching his hands to dig his nails into his palms.

The scream of the officer haunted his thoughts and the pops the soldier's arms made stalked his nightmares.

 _They were right. I am dangerous_.

He thought of the lightning he now lived with, and the power it placed in his hands. Or, more accurately, his feet.

 _Super speed._

In the back alley where he had crashed after the fight in the CCPD, Barry had stared at his hands in muted horror, the knowledge that he had hurt people settling in and taking over. The electricity had spread through his body, warm and comforting until Barry grit his teeth and shoved it as hard as he could back into its little ball in his chest. It was the reason he was now shunned by society, by his family. More importantly, it was the reason he hurt several people. He imagined a cage around the ball in his chest and locked it up, swearing to never use his powers again.

He could never get rid of the feeling of it inside him though.

The lightning inside him seemed to dull the more tired he got. It would flare when he became emotional in which Barry would focus and drag it back to the cage in his chest, mentally turning the lock and schooling his emotions. However, schooling his emotions also got harder the longer he was alone.

After a week on the streets, avoiding the military, Barry was tired. He was hungry. _I just want to go home!_

 _You don't have a home_. An unhelpful voice would remind him every time he had a similar thought. And it was true. His lease on his apartment came up long ago, while he was in the coma, meaning all his stuff was at Joe's.

 _And as if Joe will let me in now._ He thought, sighing into his hands and trying to use it as warmth.

As the wind battered the old building and rain pounded at the walls, Barry slipped his eyes shut and fell into an uneasy sleep, trying desperately to retain what little warmth he had.

The next morning, Barry was walking along the street, his head hanging down and his smelly jacket pulled to cover his face. His stomach growled again and again and again until Barry pulled one arm across his body as if to keep the pain away. He scowled down at his stomach as the hunger pains began to sneak in once again, twisting his empty gut uncomfortably.

When he looked back up, two police officers had stopped at a building a few doors up, flanking both sides of the footpath. They both strapped detecting watches to their arms and scanned each passer-by. Next to each of them, a soldier stood guard, watching for people that tried to run.

The electricity jumped at the spike of fear he felt before he shoved it back into its cage.

He began his walk again, this time much slower, looking left and right for a place to duck behind. He spotted an alley a few metres ahead and made to move towards it. As he looked forward, one of the soldiers locked eyes with him, his eyes narrowing. Barry kept his eyes down as the soldier stepped from his post. Behind him, a larger crowd of people caught up to him and he quickly slipped into it, walking with them and ducking into the alley with their cover.

The soldier entered the alley behind him and paused, sweeping the empty alley before distrustfully turning away.

From an overhead fire escape, Barry sighed, leaning his head back against the wall and curling in on himself again, preparing to wait until the metahuman search party had left and he could find somewhere to stay for the night.

A few hours later and he was still on the fire escape, slowly dozing off in the afternoon sun. Eventually a sound from below startled him awake and he peered down to see two men square off at each other. One man was nondescript. Dressed in all black and watching the other man warily, he obviously looked the way he did to blend in.

The other man, however, was very distinct. He stood tall, wearing a long trench coat with his hands in the pockets. He wore a smirk across his face and his whole demeaner screamed confident.

Barry pressed himself further over, keeping himself in the shadows while still being able to see the two men.

The first man spoke. "You got it with you?" He asked quietly, his eyes flickering to the entrance of the alley.

The other man snorted. "Don't be so nervous. The cops are gone. You really think I would go through with a transaction with the fuzz just around the corner? Especially with those watches? And yeah." He pulled out a small polished orb from his coat, carefully passing it from hand to hand. "You got the cash?"

Mr. NonDescript carefully pulled a wad of cash from his pocket and the two men exchanged goods, both taking a second to inspect it, both seeming satisfied.

"So it's true." The first man said as he tucked away his treasure. "Snart has put together a gang of Metas to do his dirty work."

Another snort. "Trust me, Snart does plenty of the work. We just help him out." He narrowed his eyes at the first man. "You got a problem with us?"

"No!" The guys eyes widened, placing up his hands defensively. "Just the rumours-"

"Better stay as rumours." TrenchCoat rumbled. The wind began to pick up in the alley, strong gusts pushing the first man back. Barry watched in fascination as the man pulled his hands out of his pockets and clouds started to form around the man. "Or else…"

"I get it!" The first man yelped and the wind instantly died down.

"Good. Now scram." The first man left in a rush, disappearing around the corner of the alley. The man left pulled out his phone once he was sure the other had left.

Pressing the phone to his ear, he waited. Obviously the one on the other end picked up.

"It's done." – "He gave the right amount." – "I don't think he'll be squealing on us any time soon." – "At Saints?" – "On the way."

He flipped the burner phone shut, throwing it in the dumpster behind him and strode out of the alley, leaving Barry alone once more.

Barry leaned back against the wall again, his mind reeling.

His stomach growled again and he was hit with a fresh wave of pain as his gut tried to process nothing. As he wrapped his arms back around himself, he felt the ratty jacket, his thin t-shirt and, under that, his dirty skin. Then he made the most desperate decision possible.

As the sky was darkening, Barry stood outside the bar staring at the sign.

'Saints and Sinners' looked like a place no Saint would step in. Sinners, however…

Barry shook his head as his thoughts raced all over the place.

 _You are going to ask criminals for help… People who rob and lie and hurt… But you don't have to do it yourself…_ His vision blurred for a second, his hand reaching out to stable himself against the wall of the bar. _And you're desperate._

He straightened, taking shaky steps past the window to get to the door. He could hear some chatter coming from indoors. Inside all the chairs were still up except for one table in the middle of the room, which was occupied by a group of people. Barry recognised the man from the alley, who was speaking to the group, his focus mainly on one man though.

The man was handsome. Older, salt and pepper short hair and cold blue eyes. His expression was stone as the other man spoke, his hands clasped in front of his mouth. He was obviously Snart.

Behind him stood a bulky man, tall and intimidating. Everyone else around the table ranged in look. Sitting next to the boss was a woman that resembled him slightly, with long brunette hair and a sultry smirk. One man was shorter and thinner, looking much younger. He had styled brown hair and glasses sitting on his nose. He gave Barry the impression of someone very intelligent. Next to him sat a young woman. Her black hair was short and hung slightly over her face. She looked slightly uncomfortable with the conversation. The man from the alley sat next to another man that looked remarkably like him, except with blonde hair and a slightly more manic expression. A man and woman sat together on one seat barely paying attention to what was being said. Another man sat wearing sunglasses, looking bored.

Barry breathed out through his nose and approached the door, staring at the 'Closed' sign. He raised his hand to knock, hesitating slightly before going for it.

 _It's not like I have anything to lose_.

Everything went silent for a moment before Barry heard movement. Loud steps came towards the door and it was swung open by the big burly one.

 _Of course it's the terrifying one_.

"We're closed." He grunted, moving to close the door again.

"Wait!" Barry yelped, reaching for the door. The man stopped, narrowing his eyes at him and standing up to his full height.

Barry held his breath for a second, holding back the electricity that threatened to take over. "I want to talk to Snart." He blurted out. "I overheard your man earlier, when he fenced whatever you were selling-"

The man growled, grabbing Barry by the arm and yanking hard. He threw him into the room, letting him stumble to his knees before the whole table. Snart stared at him, expressionless. Slowly, he stood up, pulling a gun from his belt and placing it on the table in front of him, in easy reach.

"What's this about you hearing something?" He drawled, his eyes briefly flickering to the man from the alley, who glared balefully at Barry.

"Uh-I, well-" Barry stuttered, trying to rise to his feet before a large hand clamped on his shoulder and held him down. Once again, Barry fought the lightning that wanted to escape, to protect.

"Spit it out, honey." The woman beside Snart, who must be Snart's sister, purred, moving to sit on the table so she could face the action.

"I heard about the Metas-"

"So you want a favour, huh? Want us to do something for you so you don't tell anyone?" The young man with glasses sneered. By now, everyone at the table had moved. The man from the alley and his brother both had clouds forming around their hands. The couple had stood, the man reaching towards a small mirror sitting on the table. The other young woman stood back, looking slightly scared.

Snart sighed, picking up the gun on the table. Now Barry looked at it properly, he could tell it wasn't a normal gun. It was much bigger and almost blue in colour. He pressed on something and the gun charged, illuminating them in blue light.

"You see, I'm not really the giving type, and I can't have you spilling anything." He swung the gun to point at Barry. "So sorry." He drawled, not at all sorry.

Barry closed his eyes, his heart seizing awfully and the lightning jumping in his veins. He heard the gun charge again before he heard a loud pop.

"Wait!" Barry opened his eyes to find the young woman standing in front of him. "Just look." She snapped, gesturing down at him.

They all stared at him for another second before Snart powered down the gun and all their expressions softened slightly.

Barry stared at them in confusion before he felt it. The lightning had begun to spark around his fingertips. He clenched his hands into fists and pulled the lightning back, securing it again.

The young woman knelt down in front of him, dislodging the burly man's hand from Barry's shoulder.

"You're a Meta?" She asked quietly, pushing a hand under his chin to force him to look at her. Slowly, he nodded, clenching his fists tighter. Her gaze dropped to his clothing. She pulled his jacket back, taking in his thin form.

Another hand landed on his shoulder and he flinched back, spinning to see Snart's sister looking at him with veiled concern.

"Where did you get that jacket?" She asked, sniffing slightly.

"…a dumpster." He whispered quietly, pulling it around himself as if to shield himself from their searching eyes.

Someone cleared their throat loudly behind them and they turned to see Snart staring at them.

"You want a place to stay." He stated. "Somewhere with food and protection." He waited for Barry to nod. When he did, he looked calculatingly at the others at the table.

"Everyone here contributes something to the group. And we aren't a group for legal work. So what are you willing to give us for our generous protection?" He asked, looking Barry directly in the eyes.

Barry felt the gaze pierce his conscious, searching for the truth.

"Anything." He breathed, completely honestly.

Snart searched his gaze for a second longer before nodding, apparently satisfied.

"Ladies, take him to clean up and find him some clothes that don't stink. We'll reconvene for dinner to get to know our newest member."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello again everyone. It's been a little longer than I hoped but that's the shitty thing about shift work I suppose. Thank you to everyone that read, reviewed, favourited and followed the last few chapters, here is another one for you all to read. I hope you all enjoy it!**

 **Chapter 4**

The two women helped him to his feet, gently pulling him towards the back of the bar while the third woman followed. Barry let them drag him, his relief leaving him slightly dazed.

When they reached a door at the very back of the dingy bar, Snart's sister pushed aside a loose tile to reveal a key pad.

"I'll get you to look away for a second, honey. Until we know everything about you, I think it's best you don't know the code." She smirked and Barry did as requested, turning his head to look at the many interesting stains decorating the far wall.

They tugged on his arms again to get him moving after the door opened. They pulled him into a massive warehouse joined onto the back of the bar. In the middle of the huge room, a lounge room had been set up. Two slightly stained couches sat on top a nice (and very expensive looking) rug and a coffee table housed what looked like hundreds of board games. Off to the corner, a small kitchen was set up right next to a huge dining table. A ladder ran up beside the dining table, leading to a mezzanine floor above them.

The ladies gently guided Barry over to another door set into the left wall. Inside was a pristine bathroom. Snart's sister and the blonde lady from the couple split off and began searching through the cupboards, pulling out products. The younger one led Barry over and sat him on the toilet before joining the other two.

Eventually, Snart's sister came over to him, carrying a bowl of warm water and a cloth.

"Off with the jacket and top, doll." She gently pulled at his shirt, and Barry complied, taking both off.

"You're a quiet one." The blonde one drawled, handing the brunette a bottle of soap.

Barry didn't respond. The electricity within him had calmed, settling into it's ball again, leaving Barry feeling weirdly dizzy.

"He's a thin one too." The youngest moved over to them as well, reaching out to gently prod one of Barry's protruding ribs.

"I highly doubt that was by choice." Snart's sister muttered, dragging the warm cloth through the dirt that had made its home on Barry's skin, leaving one clean strip diagonally down his chest.

Barry held back a moan at the warm water on his skin, instead offering his arms over to the woman for the same treatment. She deftly wiped off most of the dirt, looking beneath them for any sign of injury. When she was satisfied that he wasn't injured in any way, she pulled back, passing the bowl over to the blonde and retrieving three bottles and a towel in return.

She shoved them at Barry. "Have a shower. We'll find you some clothes. Don't take any longer than 10 minutes, ok?" And with that they all left.

Startled by their blunt exit, Barry took a moment to stare at the now closed door. His thoughts were racing through his head, far too fast for him to sort them out.

 _What am I supposed to tell them?_

 _Will they make me use my powers?_

 _Why did I think this would be a good idea?_

 _What if they decide they don't want me around?_

 _Will they kill me?_

 _Why did knowing I was a Meta change anything?_

 _How did they know what I wanted?_

 _How many of them are seeking shelter here as well?_

 _What am I-_

 _Why am I-_

 _Why are they-_

 _How-_

 _What-_

 _Why-_

 _Why-_

 _Why-_

Barry shook his head, trying to expel as much as he could from his head. His introspection could wait until he wasn't needed somewhere in… 7 minutes now.

He looked down at the bottles, realising they just gave him shampoo, conditioner and soap. He stared for another moment before standing to strip the rest of the way. He turned on the shower, not bothering to test the temperatures, just stepping in. The water scalded his back, turning his pale skin red from the heat. He washed and rinsed as quick as he dared before stepping out again, wrapping the towel around his waist and sitting back down, this time with a clearer mind, only one question needing to be answered in that moment.

 _What am I going to tell them?_

Barry thought back to the week he's had, all the way from waking up to sitting there on the toilet of a crime gang's safe house bathroom.

 _I'll tell them the truth._

 _But what about my powers?_

His thoughts were interrupted by the door swinging open.

"Here." Snart's sister presented him with a pile of clothes. He stared at her, a blush rising and spreading down his chest as he realised he was only wearing a towel.

She snorted. "Get used to it, honey. If you're going to stay here, you best know you get zero privacy."

He slowly took the clothes, thanking her softly and her stiff expression softened slightly.

"It's going to be difficult, especially if you aren't one for breaking rules. But we will protect you, ok?" She said softly before turning on her heel and stalking out the door.

"Once you've put them on, join us at the dining table." She yelled behind her, closing the door again.

He quickly got dressed, feeling instantly better now that he was clean, although his stomach still twisted in hungered pain. His hand closed on the door knob, hesitating slightly again before steeling himself and pushing the door open.

As soon as he stepped out, everyone's eyes turned to him. They sat at the dining table, Snart at the head, his sister on one side and the burly man on the other. The others lined the table on either side, leaving only one open seat at the very end of the table, facing Snart. Barry walked over quickly, hesitating just before he sat down, glancing up at Snart briefly. Snart tilted his head briefly, giving permission.

"First things first," Snart drawled, linking his hands together in front of him. "I suppose introductions are in order." He nodded to the person sitting to Barry's left. "Hartley Rathaway."

"Pied Piper." The young man, Hartley, interjected, his gaze lingering doubtfully on Barry.

"Shauna Beaz," "Peek-a-Boo."

"Mark and Clyde Mardon," "Weather Wizards."

"Roy Bivolo," "Rainbow Raider."

"Sam Scudder," "Mirror Master."

"Rosa Dillon," "Top."

"Mick Rory." "Heatwave."

"My sister, Lisa Snart," "Golder Glider."

"And, of course, I am Leonard Snart," Snart sat back, scrutinising Barry through a smirk. "But everyone calls me Cold."

The room went silent for a beat before Barry realised they were waiting on him.

"Oh, I'm Barry." He blurted out. "Barry Allen."

"Well, Barry," Cold smirked, waving a hand towards Mick and Lisa, who stalked off towards the little kitchenette, "Why don't we have something to eat, and then you can tell us _all about_ how you ended up coming to us, hm?"

Barry stared at the dangerous man, nodding mutely. The lightning inside him extended slightly, causing him to clench his hands to reel it back slightly. He noticed the room focused on his hands in that moment but was too distracted by the food Mick carried to notice the small frown appearing on many faces before they smoothed out again.

Mick placed down a huge platter of meat and a few side salads while Lisa passed out some plates. Barry had to reign in his speed as he reached for the food, momentarily forgetting his dangerous company and any manners he was raised with in favour of finally dispelling the debilitating hunger pains.

It wasn't long before he was full, and the situation caught up with him, a blush racing to his cheeks once again.

Cold's smirk was almost kind. "Don't worry kid. We're not judging."

"Speak for yourself." Hartley muttered, drawing his slightly shocked gaze from Barry to focus on his own food.

Cold only spared him an amused glance before looking back to Barry.

"So, now that you're finished, start talking." He commanded, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes.

Thrown off by the sudden change of tone, Barry floundered.

"Oh, well- uh," He paused, trying to figure out where to start.

"Hurry up, kid." Mark grunted, glaring him viciously.

"I was struck by lightning." Barry spat out in a panic, catching everyone's attention. Cold leaned forward again, taking a bigger interest.

Barry took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment before starting again.

"Nine months ago, when the particle accelerator exploded, it generated a storm cloud, that generated a lightning bolt, that hit me. I was in a coma up until about a week ago." Barry explained, noting that the whole room was now hanging onto his story. "Apparently, after I was struck, the hospital didn't know how to treat me, said I was seizing but at the same time I was going into cardiac arrest, which shouldn't be possible. Harrison Wells," there was a noticeable flinch at the name, "approached my foster family, asking to treat me at S.T.A.R Labs, saying he wanted to help considering it was him that did this to me."

"So that's where I woke up. About a week ago, I woke up in the middle of the cortex of S.T.A.R Labs, two scientists working around me. Eventually, Dr. Wells wheeled himself in and explained what had happened to me. I just kept saying that I wanted to go see my family, but they wouldn't let me leave. Then they showed me the pipeline. Explained Meta's to me. Said that I was most certainly a Meta, considering how directly the particle accelerator affected me compared to others who were just affected by the shock wave. It dawned on me that that was why he wanted to treat me there. He wanted to be able to just shove me into one of those tiny cells as soon as I woke up. I turned to leave only to find my path blocked by General Eiling and his goons." Barry scowled, remembering the scene, now staring at the empty plate in front of him.

"My powers kind of just activated, and I was able to get past them and out of the building. Thing is, I had just woken up from a coma and had all of this information dumped on me in a matter of minutes. Maybe if I was thinking clearly, I wouldn't have made such a stupid decision."

Barry paused for a moment, taking in another deep breath. This was the information that might kill him.

"See, my foster father is Detective Joe West."

That garnered a reaction as almost everyone at the table visibly recoiled. The only one not to move was Cold, still staring at him in undisclosed interest.

"Joe West," Clyde growled, a small mist gathering around him in his anger, "Joe West has hunted me and my brother for years and it only ramped up after we became Metas."

"You are the son of a cop! As if you wouldn't be a snitch." Sam scoffed, glaring at Barry.

"Stop." Cold ordered, still not taking his eyes off of Barry. "There's more."

Barry chuckled nervously as ten pairs of eyes turned back to him, making him shirk back slightly.

"… and I worked as a CSI for the CCPD."

Several growls rumbled around the table, people reaching for their weapons or powers as their anger grew.

"So, you're a badge." Bivolo stood, along with both Mardons and Scudder. All of them glared at Barry. Everyone except Cold, who just continued to watch him with interest.

The electricity began to coil throughout him again, causing him to wrap his arms around himself and focus to pull it back, trying to control his fear. Everyone began talking around him, yelling at him, but he couldn't understand anything that was being said, too focused on the lightning trying to escape, to protect.

"Enough." The word was quiet, but firm, breaking through the noise and the lightning. Barry opened his eyes to see everyone staring at Cold while Cold continued to stare at him, his head tilted at a slight angle while his eyes took in the way Barry was holding himself together. "Everyone sit down. I'm sure there is an explanation." The words were weaved with a warning, obviously telling Barry that their better be, or that just might have been his last meal.

"So, why come to us?" Cold asked as everyone sat and refocused their glares onto Barry.

"… I went to the CCPD. I just wanted to see my family. Joe was there, and so was his daughter, Iris, my best friend. We reunited and I tried to explain, tried to tell them what was wrong but we were interrupted as some cops pulled in a criminal. Except it wasn't a criminal. The guy was just a Meta, and he was yelling about his kids, his family and what was going to happen to them. He was terrified. A no one really cared. Like, they said poor guy, but no one tried to defend him. I asked about it and Joe told me more about Metas. About how we were deemed as threats and now we were being prosecuted if found to be a Meta. Stupidly, I told them what Wells had said, about suspecting me to be a Meta. They pulled out one of those fucking watches." Barry growled, tears beginning to well in his eyes and he tried to blink them back.

"The alarm went off throughout the whole precinct." Barry looked up at the roof, noticing now that the glares had lessened slightly. "Everyone practically pounced on me. At the same time, the place was swarmed by soldiers. I remember looking over the crowd, looking directly at Joe and Iris as they just stood and watched! They just stood there and watched as I was mobbed by a whole fucking precinct and a group of soldiers and fucking General Eiling." Barry spat, clenching his hands again as the electricity sparked at his fingers, reigning it back.

"Why do you do that?" Hartley interrupted, pointing at his hands.

Barry sighed, thinking of the officer and soldier he had hurt. "In the precinct, I used my powers again, to get out. But I hurt someone. I never want to ever hurt someone and now someone could have lost all use of their legs because I couldn't control my powers. And so I promised myself I wouldn't use them. But they react to my emotions, so I have to reign them in."

"And now I've been living on the streets for a week, trying to avoid the military and the police. I don't know how to find food and I don't have any kind of money. I wouldn't last another week out there. I'm begging you, please. I'll pull my weight, I promise."

Barry directed the last part towards Cold, who had finally moved, sitting back again but with a much more relaxed position.

"Hmm… and what do you think you could offer to the team? Without your powers?" Cold asked. "Obviously you aren't one for crime."

"No, but I was a CSI and I know the CSI's that are left in the CCPD. I can teach you how to leave a scene clean, or at least how to leave a scene with only evidence that these people wouldn't pick up. Or I know some first aid and have some diagnostic skills. Granted they are mainly used on already dead people but believe it or not it's not that different." Barry rambled, clinging onto a renewed sense of hope.

It was silent for a moment as Cold regarded Barry once more before he turned to Lisa.

"Set up a spot for him to sleep upstairs and find him something to sleep in. We'll find him something he can do around the bar to earn his keep tomorrow." He turned back to Barry.

"Welcome to the Rouges."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Considering the long wait for chapter 4, I thought I might as well try and get the next few chapters out quickly, so here is chapter 5! I'll try and have chapter 6 up tomorrow and chapter 7 the next day, but it might not happen. Here's hoping. Thank you again to everyone that has read, reviewed, favourited and followed. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Chapter 5**

"So you want me to be a waiter?" Barry asked incredulously, staring down at the apron he was given.

"We don't run a heist every day, kid." Mick snorted as he passed behind Cold, who had just told Barry his role. "We have to do something for money."

"And that something… is owning a bar?"

Cold rolled his eyes. "It's handy to hide behind. It's not common knowledge that the warehouse behind us connects to this building. Gives us somewhere to hide and something to legally get money at the same time." He explained shortly.

Barry nodded, looking around to see everyone working to open the bar. Mark and Clyde were taking down the chairs, Hartley and Shawna were wiping down the tables, shrugging when they came to a stain that wouldn't come out. Sam slowly placed bottle after bottle on the shelves of the bar, always checking if he could see his reflection in the glass. Mick bustled about in the kitchen, growling at Rosa and Roy about potatoes while he lit the stoves, always pausing to watch the flame take hold. If he paused for too long, Cold would take one of the salt shakers Lisa was filling beside him and throw it at him, much to Lisa's chagrin.

The domesticity almost made Barry smile, if he didn't feel so out of place.

Cold glanced back up at Barry after throwing another shaker and smirking at his sister's huff. He rolled his eyes again.

"You'll be fine," He said, gesturing over to Hartley and Shauna. "They'll be out there with you. All you need to do is place down the food and make sure they are going to pay the bill. None of that nice 'customer service' stuff necessary."

"But what if…" Barry trailed off, glancing nervously at numerous dents in the walls that tell of the type of activities that go down in the bar.

"If things get violent?" Cold finished with a smirk as Barry's eyes flickered back to him. "That's what the Mardons are for."

 _Great_ , Barry thought sarcastically, turning to look at the two brothers as they took down the remaining chairs. _That's a big comfort_.

As he thought it, Mark turned around and caught his stare. He narrowed his eyes into a glare and a snarl curled his lip.

He scoffed. "He's a coward. I can't believe you're actually letting him in, Cold."

Barry lowered his eyes, clenching the apron closer to himself for some sense of comfort.

"I took you two in while you were running from the military as well, Mardon. I don't see much of a difference." Cold drawled, turning an icy gaze towards the brothers.

Mark scowled. "I don't believe him. I bet he's one of the traitors." He spat, making Barry frown in confusion.

"Traitors?" Barry asked quietly, looking to Cold for an answer.

"Rumours are," Hartley was the one to answer, he and Shawna joining everyone to lean against the bar, "there are some Meta's helping the military and police find and catch those that are hiding. They bargained with the military, promising their compliance in return for their freedom."

"But they are just rumours," Shawna cut in, moving to help Lisa fill the shakers. "There has been no proof that anyone is helping them."

"Point is, these people, if they exist, are seen as traitors by any Meta in hiding. We may be bad people, but we would never rat out each other for being Meta's, especially considering how badly we are treated." Hartley continued.

"Nothing worse than a snitch." Sam grunted from behind the bar, his gaze briefly flickering over Barry before he turned back to the bottles.

"As Shawna said," Cold interrupted, casting a warning glare over his gang, "these are just rumours. Would you all prefer I throw a Meta out onto the streets to be picked up by the military?" The room became silent, the others reluctantly disagreeing. "No? So get over it."

"I still don't trust him." Mark grumbled as everyone else returned to their jobs.

"And I don't care." Cold responded, throwing him a glare. Mark huffed and wandered over to the door to take up his position as security.

"Thank you." Barry whispered, securing the apron around his waist as Cold straightened to head out the back.

"You can thank me by proving me right." He said, turning his icy gaze to Barry, before turning away and heading out the back.

 _Well, this is going great so far._

As the night progressed, the bar filled impressively, all sorts of seedy people showing up to drink their lives away. Barry spent the night standing by the bar along with Hartley and Shawna, occasionally leaving to take an order or clear a table. Sam was kept busy behind the bar while the others slowly bustled about in the kitchen. Clyde and Mark stood still as statues next to the door, hyper vigilant of the increasing number of drunks. Barry would occasionally see Cold or Lisa keeping an eye on everything before they disappeared into the office behind the kitchen again.

The night wound down close to 2am, only a few stragglers left. A pair of men played pool over in the corner, a woman hanging off one of their arms, giggling. One man sat alone at the bar, rambling something to Sam, who was polishing the glasses and quite obviously not listening. A group of men took up one of the tables, laughing loudly and yelling over each other.

As Barry watched, the woman at the pool table stumbled, clutching her stomach, before quickly moving for the toilet.

Shawna sighed. "I guess I have to deal with that." She grumbled, leaving Hartley and Barry to watch the room while she grabbed a mop.

Not a minute later, the group of men started yelling louder, all of them raising their arms and gesturing to them.

"Dibs not." Hartley said quickly, turning away from the men.

Barry let all the air out his nose, before grabbing a tray and his note pad, heading over to the table.

"What can I get you?" He asked, not bothering to look anything more than bored.

"Eh, I haven't seen you here before." The man closest to him slurred, reaching out to grab at him. "You new here, pretty?"

Barry deftly moved out of reach, responding, "obviously" under his breath.

"Was there something I could help you with?" He tried again, ignoring their drunken laughter.

"Hey, I think I seen you before, pretty." One of the other men said and the others turned to squint at him.

"I don't think so, sir." Barry responded with a sigh, flipping his note pad open, "Now-"

"Yeah, no, I see it. He looks familiar." Another one said, and the rest murmured in agreement. "You in a movie, doll?"

"Nah, I would know if it was a movie. TV, maybe?"

One of them snapped their fingers. "Porn. Must be."

"Nah, nah, nah, guys, you know what it is, it's those posters." The first guy said, and everyone responded with a resounding 'ah', nodding and slapping the man on the back in congratulations.

"Posters?" Barry asked, and their attention snapped back to him.

"Yeah, posters…" The man squinted at him, suddenly looking thoughtful. "The wanted posters."

A sudden chill seemed to sweep through Barry, rooting his feet to the ground as the information settled in his brain. They put out wanted posters for him.

The electricity moved again, reaching out through his chest to his hands, and spreading all the way down his legs, as if trying to prompt his feet to move. Almost unconsciously, Barry clutched his hands together and to his chest, constricting the power he felt in his sudden fear.

Too focused on the lightning, he didn't notice some of the men standing up until one of them grabbed him from behind, clamping his hands down onto Barry's upper arms.

"There's a reward, you see…" One was explaining as the others looked on curiously. "And I think it'll set me up nicely." The man grabbed his chin, forcing Barry to look him in the eye. "Pity I have to turn you in, doll. You would have looked nice in my bed."

Barry was shoved roughly by the person behind him, causing him to stumble into the table as the man in front of him moved. A hand grabbed his hair, pulling his head back before slamming it back into the table.

"Safer for us to knock him out-" He heard from behind him before the hands vanished.

Barry stood shakily, turning to see Mark and Clyde shoving back two the men that had attacked him. At this point, the other men jumped up, ready to brawl.

"I suggest you all leave. I don't want to have to use my powers. Cold'll have me replace the carpet with my own money, see." Clyde growled, clouds gathering around him and his brother as the men gathered themselves.

The one who slammed him into the table snorted. "Oh no, I don't want to be rained on. We're not scared of you, Mardon." He smirked, reaching for Barry again. "So we'll just take our loot, it's not like you can stop us."

Mark lunged for the man, punching him across the jaw and gathering what looked like a large ball of ice in his other hand. Clyde also moved, summoning enough wind to force one of the men into the wall.

Another man grabbed Barry's arm and pulled, trying to drag him to the door. The lightning crackled in his chest, ready to escape and Barry focused on holding it back, causing the man to be able to drag him a few feet towards the door. With a new sense of panic, Barry grabbed the back of one of the booths, holding on tight as the man suddenly jerked to a stop, yanking Barry's arm roughly. The man growled, moving his grip to hold both Barry's wrist and elbow, yanking hard to dislodge Barry's grip on the booth.

Barry yelled as he felt his elbow snap from the pressure of the pull and felt a pop as his shoulder dislocated from the booth. It was quickly followed up by another yell as a loud screech assaulted the man directly. Barry cringed back from the sound as it encased the man. He glanced up to see Hartley wearing some sort of gauntlet directed at the man.

A pop sounded next to him and he startled as another set of hands grabbed his arms.

"Shh, just me." Shawna whispered. "Hold on."

Another pop and suddenly he was across the room, Shawna still holding his arms.

The sound of something charging made everyone pause.

Cold stood by the bar, his gun raised in the air and obviously charged to fire. Behind him, Mick and Lisa leaned on the bar, both raising their own special looking guns.

"I suggest you all leave." Cold drawled. "And if any cops or soldiers end up knocking, well… I wouldn't be expecting to live for very much longer if I were you."

The leader of the group snorted. "We're not scared of you, Snart. Just give us the boy and we'll be on our wa-" The man's face opened into a silent scream.

A layer of ice encased the mans arm as he pointed at Barry. Barry followed the man's gaze to Cold's gun, which was now pointed directly at the man.

"It's Cold, to you. And I don't think so. Now leave. If you find yourself a warm bath in the next, oh, ten minutes, you might be able to keep your arm." Cold glared at the group.

With a scowl, the man retreated, gesturing to his men to back off.

"Whatever. Keep him. I hope the cops find you all and you are all thrown into those tiny cells. Metahuman or not."

"Remember what I said before. If cops show up here because of you, don't think you'll ever be safe." Cold snarled, and the man finally left, muttering about Metas.

For a while after the group left, the bar was silent. The other patrons had obviously left sometime during the fight, leaving only the Rouges left standing in the bar.

The pain caught up to Barry, shooting pains running through both arms. He groaned lowly, sinking back, almost falling into Shawna. She helped him onto the ground, her fingers only slightly brushing his protruding shoulder and her gaze falling on his oddly bent elbow.

Barry closed his eyes to the pain, leaning his head back and trying to breath normally. From there he drifted slightly, losing control of the lightning, feeling it spread to his arms, buzzing beneath his skin.

He was suddenly moved, jerking him back into consciousness. He was placed on one of the tables, Mick moving away from him as soon as he was semi-steady. Shawna was back in his space, pulling gently at his broken arm to try and assess the damage.

"…finitely broken…oulder disloca…arry? Barry?" Shawna clicked in his face. "Focus on me Barry, I need you to stay awake. You might have a concussion from the table."

Behind Shawna, Barry could see the others fidgeting, trying to expel the extra energy and adrenaline from the fight. Even Cold kept playing with his hands, despite the rest of him standing extra still and his eyes focused entirely on Barry.

A sudden pain had him screaming as his shoulder was pushed back into place.

"Sorry." Shawna muttered, turning to his arm.

"I need something to wrap this with. It needs to stay where it is to heal properly." Shawna stated, only to be handed two rolls of bandages and some pain killers.

"It's all we've got for the moment." Lisa stated before moving her hands to run through Barry's hair. "How you feeling, honey?" She asked softly, pushing his hair away from his face.

"Eh. I've been better." Barry breathed back, causing her and several others to snort. He grinned slightly as she gently pushed his head forward with a mock huff.

"Well, I don't think he's concussed." She said, a tiny flicker at the corner of her mouth exposing her amusement.

"Be that as it may, I still need to wrap his shoulder." Shawna moved forward again, unrolling one of the bandages. As she approached him again, he felt the lightning move, disappearing from his shoulder and joining the rest flickering in his other arm, leaving his shoulder without pain.

"Wait…" He muttered, causing Shawna to pause, frowning, confused.

"Barry, I need to-" She started, only to be silenced as Barry rolled his shoulder, testing it. When he felt no pain, he raised his arm and stretched his shoulder, careful of his still healing arm.

"What the…" She huffed, prodding his shoulder a few times, before sitting back and staring at him, perplexed.

"It's healed. Completely." Everyone else blinked in shock, all moving forward to see for themselves.

"Well…" Hartley started, staring at the shoulder as well as the now visibly better arm, "That's handy. How…?"

"It has something to do with my powers. I'm not sure how it works though." Barry answered, frowning down at his elbow. "I feel like that's going to take another hour at least."

"Well then, I suppose it's all time we rested." Cold hummed, now watching Barry with undisclosed interest. "By morning, Barry will be good as new."

"Wait…" Barry started, pausing everyone's movement. "They said… they said they had posters out for me… I don't- I don't know-" He stuttered, a spark of lightning moving back to his chest, as if to comfort him from the small spike of fear.

Cold's expression softened slightly and he looked at each member of the Rouges briefly. Whatever he saw must have answered his unasked question.

"We'll figure out what to do about it in the morning. It seems I have some planning to do."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Soooooooo… its been a lot longer than I said it would be… oops. Yeah, my computer stopped working and it took a long time to get a new one but here I am! Hopefully I don't lose any steam on this and keep writing because I actually really like this story and am excited to see where it goes (this story has a mind of it's own, I was rereading over the plan and went, well, none of that happened the way it was originally planned) Anyways, thank you to everyone who had read, reviewed, favourited and followed, here is chapter 6. Enjoy**

Chapter 6

"Alright," Hartley announced, snapping down a pile of papers into the middle of the table, jerking everyone into a slightly more alert state. "I think I found something."

"You _think_ you found something?" Snart drawled, glaring at Hartley over his hot chocolate mug. Barry watched as Hartley screwed up his face at Snart when he turned away, before reaching for the papers on the table.

"Facial transmogrification?" Barry read out slowly, flipping the pages over as he scanned each page, holding back his lightning when it threatened to take over and speed read. "This is amazing tech, but it's lightyears ahead of any tech that's being invented nowadays. This wouldn't be ready for human use for centuries, so how is this going to help us?" He looked over to Hartley, passing the papers over the Snart as he reached to take them.

"You would think so, however Harrison Wells seems to be centuries ahead of everyone concerning technology, despite his recent failings. You see, I used to work at S.T.A.R." Hartley sat back in his chair, sniffing haughtily and turning his nose in the air. "I was respected and quite obviously the smartest there besides Dr. Wells himself. Then he hired Cisquito and before long he wasn't listening to anything I was telling him, as if my intelligence didn't exist anymore because he had a new brain to play with. And it's not like Cisco is smarter than me anyways-"

Mark coughed loudly. It sounded suspiciously like the word 'jealous'.

Hartley glared before rolling his eyes and continuing. "Point is, I know what's in that place and on those servers and I've seen this technology being produced. I would need to hack into the systems and figure out exactly where it's stored, but this is how we can hide Barry from everyone without having to lock him up in our warehouse and put ourselves at even more risk."

"So wait, you want us to break into S.T.A.R Labs, the place that creates the meta detecting technology and imprisons any and all Meta's they come in contact with, all for a scrawny kid that got himself into trouble by walking into a police precinct when people were actively trying to imprison him? I say we just chuck him out and worry about ourselves." Mark exclaimed, slamming his coffee cup down onto the table.

"We've been over this." Snart drawled, turning his glare to Mark. "We aren't going to just hand over a Meta to the military, so we are going to do what's necessary to protect on of our own."

Clyde scoffed. "He's not one of our own! He's just a stray that walked in and you decided to keep."

"So what are you saying, Mardon? What do you suggest we do? You don't want Meta's taken by the military, but you refuse to help do anything? Great moral code there, dickhead." Shawna sneered, leaning over the table to get more into his face and gaining a growl in response.

"We're criminals, we don't have a moral code." He launched back, inciting more arguing.

Barry remained silent, looking down at his hands where they sat in his lap. The lightning clawed at his skin form beneath, becoming more and more agitated the more he held it in. He clenched his hands again and again, forcing the lightning back into its cage in his chest where it burned, as if his heart had become the sun. His nerves caused his hands to shake and the arguing became background noise.

This tech could help him, he could show his face without having to worry about someone calling the cops and he could finally gain some of his freedom back that he had before the lightning struck. He could eat, sleep and work a little easier with one less worry to cloud his mind. However…

He felt a gaze burning into him and he lifted his head to meet Snart's eyes from where the man stoically and silently sat. His gaze didn't lift when he realised Barry had caught him staring, instead one eyebrow rose, a challenge set.

 _What are_ you _going to do about all this?_

"They're right." Barry blurt out, turning his eyes back to the arguing gang. They silenced, looking over to him, confused.

"They're right." He sighed again, running a hand over his face. "S.T.A.R Labs is home base for the whole Anti-Meta campaign, and I've seen the cells in the pipeline, how tiny and horrible they looked, not to mention how the Meta's were being treated. I can't- I won't let any of you risk ending up there just so I can get around a little easier."

"That's why," Snart interrupted, a touch of approval entering his stare. "None of you are going to risk it."

"We can't just leave the situation as is! What do you-" Snart held up a hand, silencing Hartley mid rant, causing him to clench his jaw and look away, as if to try and control himself.

"Mick, Lisa and I will go in."

Barry snapped his eyes back to Snart, opening his mouth to protest only to get the same hand as Hartley.

"Not only do we have the most experience, we are also not Meta's. Hartley, you will hack into the S.T.A.R Labs system and give us a detailed blueprint of where it is and all the security measures we will have to bypass. Everyone else should be training or working. Everyone got that?" Snart continued in a cold voice, his gaze turning to steel, stopping anyone from arguing.

The Mardon brothers grumbled as everyone got up from the table. Instantly, Shawna popped over to the back wall, where another keypad was set into the wall. She looked over her shoulder, gesturing with her head for Barry to join her. Slowly, he got up from the table, constantly aware of Snart's stare boring into his back as he moved.

"I know you said you don't use your powers," Shawna started as he made his way to her, "but if you feel the need or want to use them, this is where the rest of us train." She entered the passcode, and the wall slid open, giving way to a big open space with padded walls and high ceilings. Off to one side was a bunch of weights and gym equipment and one corner held what seemed to be a safe with a bunch of different key pads and locks. The rest of the room was bare, and open space for everyone to train their powers without causing too much destruction.

The lightning moved within Barry's chest, extending throughout his body in excitement. A small spark crackled at his fingertips before he clenched his hands tight and forced it back. The ball of lightning seemed to grow, extending in its cage until it didn't fit and burning Barry from the inside in its bid to be freed. Barry brought his trembling hands clenched tight together to sit pressed against his chest, as if physically restraining the power.

"You know, I don't think it's particularly healthy to be holding those in so much." Rosa commented as she moved past Barry into the room, giving him an odd once over as she passed.

"Yeah, well. I'm going to have to deal." Barry muttered, ignoring everyone's curious looks.

"Then I guess you can show me how good you are at picking locks." Lisa smirked as she pushed her way into the room, heading for the safe. "Come on, sweet cheeks, show me whattcha got."

The rest of the day was spent learning about all the different kinds of locks one might need to bypass as a thief and exactly how to get past them. The others all worked on their powers, laughing and shouting as they fought it out, trying new things to get the opponents down for the count. More than once Barry got distracted by the mesmerising swirl of wind Clyde produced or the sparkle of the hail that rained down after Mark became a little grumpy. Bivolo just stood off to the side, watching. Shawna used her powers with ease, appearing here and there in the blink of an eye, never seeming to end up anywhere other than exactly where she wanted to be and easily avoiding any and all attacks directed towards her. Scudder seemed to just melt out of any reflective surface, occasionally confusing the hell out of someone by pushing them through one and out another on the other side of the room, giving him all the advantage he needed to take someone down. Rosa just occasionally tapped someone on the shoulder whenever she could get close enough and instantly that person would be out for the next few minutes. Eventually, Hartley joined in, wearing the gauntlets he had the night before and aiming sonic blasts at anyone he could. Snart and Mick entered the room later too, the former sitting next to his sister as she tried to teach Barry while the latter brought in his gun and occasionally set something (or someone) on fire, just to see how they could/would react.

The room was filled with taunts and laughs and growls and grins. The lightning began its fight again, seeming to strike directly into Barry's chest, as if it could force its way out. Barry could feel small tendrils of power seeping down his arms whenever he reached for the safe, having to constantly clench his hands to force it back. The lightning expanded once again, taking up more room in his chest and seeming to get increasingly more violent the more he watched everyone else train their powers. When he stood up for a stretch, it itched in his legs, the energy begging for some sort of release.

 _No. We can't do anymore damage._ Barry thought, shaking his legs to try and rid them of the itch only for it to be replaced with a longing ache.

Lisa watched with guarded concern as he sat back down again and reached for the safe.

"So," She started as he refocused on his training. "It must be weird, huh? Waking up and everything having changed so much?"

Barry frowned, sitting back from the safe and turning to face her. "Not weird, so much. Hard. And scary. To me it felt like I had just gone to sleep and woken up the next day. Except that's not what happened. I'd been struck by lightning, and it wasn't the next day, it was nine months later. The hardest thing for me is to remember that this didn't all just happen overnight; I just wasn't awake for any of it."

Mark snorted from somewhere on the makeshift battleground. "So the superpowers didn't make life weird?" He scoffed, throwing a ball of ice at his brother before turning his head to smirk at Barry. "How weird was your life before hand, huh?"

The lightning once again reacted, jumping in his chest and rushing upwards, this time flickering through his eyes. At the flash of light, the scene in front of Barry seemed to change. Instead of an empty room, there were now couches of to the side and an arm chair in the corner. An archway framed the room and lightning flickered as the ball inside it moved around and around and around. Screams echoed through the room and a hand grabbed his shoulder. He could almost hear the yelling.

 _Run, Barry. Run!_

 _RUN_ , the lightning inside him insisted, fizzing throughout his body as if it hadn't just given him one more reason to fear it. He imagined hands grabbing the lightning, forcing it back into a ball and back into its cage, where it rattled and screeched, impatient and hot.

"Barry?" The hand on his shoulder moved, jerking Barry back into reality. He whipped his head around to see Snart holding his shoulder, his blank face betraying a hit of concern. The rest of the room had gone quiet, everyone staring at Barry with varied expressions of concern and wariness.

"Sorry." Barry muttered, shaking his head and clutching his hands back to his chest, holding in the power that threatened to escape. "To answer your question Mark, the superpowers are the most believable part of this whole experience. I've always believed superpowers were real."

At the disbelieving looks, Barry sighed. "When I was 11, my mother was murdered."

Everyone's expressions shifted into something almost sympathetic.

"My dad was arrested and charged with her murder, but I was there. There was lightning in the living room, and there was someone in the lightning. He was the one that murdered her, dad was just trying to save her. I've dedicated most of my life to trying to prove the impossible exists so that maybe I could get him free. Now, the impossible is everywhere, I _am_ the impossible, but I'm out of any position to help him anyways. Plus, my powers came from lightning and I don't… I don't want…" Barry trailed off, his throat closing up as he choked back tears.

"You don't want to be anything like _him._ " Snart muttered, a look of understanding flashing briefly across his features before they were carefully schooled back into the blank mask.

"Wait," Mick grumbled, turning a frown towards Barry. "Your dad wouldn't happen to be in Iron Heights would he?"

"Yeah, why?" Barry frowned back.

Understanding seemed to dawn on everyone's face at once.

"You're Doc Allen's kid!" Clyde exclaimed, making Barry start.

"You- you know my dad?" He stuttered, scanning everyone's faces before settling on Snart's.

"Your father is quite popular in that prison. He helps out anyone that needs it, no matter what for and ensures everyone gets the medical treatment they need, especially if the guards seem intent on ignoring it." He explained, his expression softening a touch at Barry's almost awed expression.

"He used to talk about you too. His kid that outsmarted everyone at school and was going to do big things out in the world and revolutionise the forensics field, ensuring no innocent was sent to prison for something they didn't do." Mark said. He now looked much more open towards Barry, a small smile pulling at the side of his mouth. "You should have told us this from the start, kid. You would have been accepted a lot quicker."

Barry gave a small disbelieving laugh as everyone began to soften around him, some of the wariness and distrust fading, if only slightly.

"Alright, everybody," Snart drawled, beginning to walk towards the door back to the main part of the warehouse. "Mick, Lisa and I need to go over this plan, we will be going in tomorrow. You better all be ready to move if something goes wrong, so rest."

The next day, Snart, Mick and Lisa left in the morning, leaving everyone to just potter around to their own devices.

Around mid-afternoon, Barry moved into the restaurant part of the building, slowly taking down chairs and wiping tables, getting ready for that night while keeping an eye on the door for the three Rouges to return.

The lightning in his chest suddenly became agitated, burning and jerking, rebelling against his control. Barry let out a small wounded noise as the lightning escaped his hold, fizzing out down his arms and creating sparks that quickly travelled around his whole body. The light show lit up the room, cracking against the tables and walls as Barry's hands, arms, legs began to tremble, no, vibrate. He slammed his hands down on the nearest table, only for them to phase right through and he fell to the floor, clutching his head as it burned, on, in, around him. Squeezing his eyes shut and clenching his teeth, he used everything he had to draw everything back into him, struggling until the lightning was locked back into the cage, rattling against it much more violently than he had ever felt it.

He panted as he regained control, pushing himself up onto shaky, thankfully not vibrating, legs. Only then he heard the voices outside.

"Surely you saw that! No lights act like that normally, there must be one of those mutants inside." A deep, male voice sounded, footsteps coming closer to the building.

Barry froze for a second before scrambling up, plastering himself on the wall next to the windows and squeezing his eyes shut, crossing his fingers as he pressed his hands back against the wall.

A hand came up to the window, someone peering in to the seemingly empty bar.

"There isn't anyone there, Jones, it was probably just a power surge." A female voice, obviously his partner.

"Whatever, I still think it must have been a weirdo. This town just keeps getting weirder and…" The voices trailed out, getting further and further away as Barry released the breath he was holding and sunk down to squat against the wall, his head buried in his hands.

The lightning had died down inside him slightly, now just jerking every now and then in agitation and impatience, wanting to run. Tears burned at the corners of his eyes as he sat there for who knows how long, trying to control his breathing, his tears, his powers.

Eventually he rose, collecting up the cloth he had dropped when he had lost control and began to make his way back behind the bar, wiping down the surface again and again to try and distract himself from everything.

The door clicked and he jumped as it banged open, only to see Mick lumber through, followed by the two Snarts.

"How-" Barry began only to be silenced by the hand again.

"Go get everyone." Snart ordered his sister and she just nodded, moving over to the back and disappearing through the door.

Not a few moments later, everyone filed through the door, faces turning to stone as they took in Snart's grave expression.

"We have a problem."


End file.
